Development Co‑operation Profiles: Latvia
Table of contents
Latvia’s development co-operation policy aims to contribute to implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in its priority partner countries. Latvia’s development and foreign policies are closely aligned. With a focus on the European Union’s (EU) Eastern Neighbourhood and Central Asian countries, Latvia’s development co-operation aims to promote good governance, digitalisation, gender equality, economic development and regional stability. In 2025, Latvia became the 33rd member of the OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC). Latvia’s total official development assistance (ODA) decreased in 2024 to USD 111.6 million (preliminary data), representing 0.26% of gross national income (GNI).
This profile presents verified data on development assistance allocation. See the Development Co-operation Profiles.
The Law on International Assistance, adopted in 2008, establishes the regulatory framework for Latvia’s development co-operation, defining key stakeholders’ roles. The Development Cooperation Policy Guidelines for 2021-2027 set Latvia’s strategic priorities, focusing on sustainable development, poverty eradication, the rule of law and good governance. Latvia looks at the reduction of poverty in a long-term perspective, focusing on promoting economic stability and gender equality. These priorities are implemented through the Development Cooperation Policy Plan for 2024-2027, adopted by the Cabinet of Ministers. Latvia’s bilateral co-operation aligns with its legal framework, fostering regional stability and development through targeted support and experience exchange.
Latvia’s multilateral development co-operation aligns with its 2021-2027 policy guidelines, addressing global challenges beyond priority partners. Latvia provides primarily core and flexible funding to multilateral institutions, mainly the European Union, the World Bank and United Nations (UN) entities. As an EU member country since 2004, Latvia actively contributes expertise to initiatives of EU institutions in development co-operation, supporting technical assistance tools.
Latvia provided USD 111.6 million (preliminary data) of ODA in 2024 (USD 109.7 million in constant terms), representing 0.26% of GNI.1 This was a decrease of 22.1% in real terms in volume and decrease in the share of GNI from 2023. Latvia’s ODA volume shows a gradual increase from 2011 to 2021, followed by a significant spike in 2022 and 2023 mainly due to in-donor refugee costs and support to Ukraine. Latvia is committed to increasing its ODA to meet the European Union’s goal of achieving a 0.7% ODA/GNI ratio by 2030. Total ODA on a grant-equivalent basis has the same value as net ODA under the cash-flow methodology used in the past, as Latvia provides only grants.2
In 2023, Latvia ranked 19th in terms of ODA to GNI ratio. Before the sharp increase in Latvia’s ODA in 2022 and 2023, Latvia provided more aid through multilateral channels than bilateral ones. In 2023, in-donor refugee costs accounted for 59% of total bilateral ODA. In line with its policy priorities, Latvia allocated a significant share of its bilateral ODA to Europe. Additionally, the majority of its multilateral ODA is provided as core contributions to the EU institutions.
Latvia has committed to several international targets and DAC standards and recommendations. Learn more about DAC Recommendations.
Note: This table only includes information about ODA data-related DAC Recommendations. ODA: official development assistance; GNI: gross national income; DAC: Development Assistance Committee.
Latvia provided a higher share of its ODA bilaterally in 2023. Gross bilateral ODA was 53% of total ODA disbursements. Nineteen per cent of gross bilateral ODA was channelled through multilateral organisations (earmarked contributions).
In 2023, Latvia provided USD 80.2 million of gross ODA to the multilateral system, an increase of 16.9% in real terms from 2022. Of this, USD 66.3 million was core multilateral ODA (47% of total ODA), while USD 13.9 million was non-core contributions earmarked for a specific country, region, theme or purpose. Project-type funding earmarked for a specific theme and/or country accounted for 3.4% of Latvia’s non-core contributions and 96.6% was programmatic funding (to pooled funds and specific-purpose programmes and funds).
The UN system received 5.8% of Latvia’s contributions to multilateral organisations, of which USD 2.3 million (49.3%) represented earmarked contributions. Out of a total volume of USD 4.7 million to the UN system, the top three UN recipients of Latvia’s support (core and earmarked contributions) were the United Nations Development Programme (USD 2.2 million), the UN Secretariat (USD 0.8 million) and IAEA-Assessed (USD 0.6 million).
See the section on Geographic, sectoral and thematic focus of ODA for the breakdown of bilateral allocations, including ODA earmarked through the multilateral development system.
Learn more by exploring the dashboard on DAC members’ use of the multilateral system.
In 2023, Latvia’s bilateral spending declined compared to the previous year. It provided USD 74.7 million of gross bilateral ODA (which includes earmarked contributions to multilateral organisations). This represented a decrease of 23.7% in real terms from 2022.
In 2023, country programmable aid amounted to USD 8.5 million, or 11.4% of Latvia’s gross bilateral ODA, compared to the DAC country average of 43.1%. In-donor refugee costs were USD 44.3 million in 2023, representing 59.3% of Latvia’s gross bilateral ODA.
In 2023, Latvia channelled its bilateral ODA mainly through the public sector.
In 2023, civil society organisations (CSOs) received USD 1.8 million of gross bilateral ODA. Overall, 0.4% of gross bilateral ODA was allocated to CSOs as core contributions and 2.1% was channelled through CSOs to implement projects initiated by the donor (earmarked funding). From 2022 to 2023, the combined core and earmarked contributions for CSOs increased as a share of bilateral ODA, from 1.4% to 2.5%. Learn more about the DAC Recommendation on Enabling Civil Society in Development Co-operation and Humanitarian Aid.
In 2023, Latvia’s bilateral ODA primarily focused on ODA-eligible countries in Europe. USD 17.6 million was allocated to ODA-eligible countries in Europe (of which 95.9% for Ukraine) and USD 3.1 million to Asia (excluding the Middle East), accounting respectively for 23.6% and 4.2% of gross bilateral ODA. USD 3.1 million was allocated to Latin America and the Caribbean. Europe was also the main regional recipient of Latvia’s earmarked contributions to multilateral organisations, which was in line with its policy priorities.
In 2023, 32.8% of gross bilateral ODA went to Latvia’s top 10 recipients, mostly in Europe in line with its focus on its immediate neighbourhood and its policy priorities. The share of gross bilateral ODA not allocated by country was 65.2%, of which 91% consisted of expenditures for processing and hosting refugees in provider countries.
In 2023, Latvia allocated 0.04% of its GNI to the least developed countries (LDCs). Latvia allocated the highest share of gross bilateral ODA (25.4%) to lower middle-income countries in 2023, noting that 65.2% was unallocated by income group. LDCs received 2.3% of Latvia’s gross bilateral ODA (USD 1.7 million). Additionally, Latvia allocated 3.7% of gross bilateral ODA to land-locked developing countries in 2023, equal to USD 2.8 million. Latvia allocated 0.7% of gross bilateral ODA to small island developing states in 2023, equal to USD 0.5 million.
Looking at the distribution of Latvia’s ODA in relation to “ODA per person in extreme poverty”,3 the amount was USD 0.04 in LDCs, USD 0.2 in lower middle-income countries and USD 0.2 in upper middle-income countries.
In 2024, Latvia provided USD 17.9 million of net bilateral ODA to Ukraine to respond to the impacts of Russia’s full-scale invasion, a 4% increase from 2023 in real terms. USD 4.6 million of the amount was humanitarian assistance in 2024, a 39.3% decrease from 2023.
Support to contexts with high and extreme fragility was USD 1.3 million in 2023, representing 1.7% of Latvia’s gross bilateral ODA. Fifty-four per cent of this ODA was provided in the form of humanitarian assistance, a huge increase from 0.7% in 2022, while 0.1% was allocated to peace, a decrease from 0.2% in 2022. Learn more about the OECD States of Fragility platform.
In 2023, more than half of Latvia’s bilateral ODA was allocated to other macro sectors. Investments in this area accounted for 77.7% of bilateral ODA commitments (USD 63.3 million), with a strong focus on support to refugees in donor countries (USD 44.3 million), unallocated/unspecified (USD 17.7 million), and administrative costs of donors (USD 1.3 million). ODA for social infrastructure and services totalled USD 9 million, with a focus on health and population (USD 6.1 million). Humanitarian assistance amounted to USD 8.7 million (10.7% of bilateral ODA). Earmarked contributions to multilateral organisations also focused also on other macro sectors and social sectors in 2023.
In the period 2022-23, Latvia committed 3% of screened bilateral allocable ODA to gender equality and women’s empowerment, compared to 23.4% in 2020-214 and a 2022-23 non-DAC country average of 2.2%5. This is equal to USD 0.9 million of screened bilateral allocable ODA in support of gender equality on average per year. In addition:
The share of screened bilateral allocable ODA committed to gender equality and women’s empowerment as a principal objective was 1.3% in 2022-23, compared with the DAC country average of 4%.
Latvia includes gender equality objectives in 5.4% of ODA for humanitarian aid, below the 2022‑23 DAC country average of 19.1%.
Latvia screens all bilateral allocable ODA activities against the DAC gender equality policy marker (100% in 2022-23).
Latvia committed USD 0.1 million to support women’s rights organisations and movements, and government institutions on average in 2022-23.
Learn more about the DAC Recommendation on Gender Equality and the Empowerment of All Women and Girls in Development Co-operation and Humanitarian Assistance and the DAC Recommendation on Ending Sexual Exploitation in Development Co-operation, and by exploring the dashboard on DAC members’ development finance for gender equality.
In 2022-23, Latvia committed 1% of its total bilateral allocable ODA (USD 0.3 million) in support of the environment and the Rio Conventions, down from 2.3% in 2020-21. The DAC average was 39% in 2022-23. In addition:
One per cent of total bilateral allocable ODA (USD 0.2 million) focused on climate change overall, up from 0.2% in 2020-21 (the DAC average was 34.8%). Latvia had a greater focus on adaptation (0.6%) than on mitigation (0.2%) in 2022-23.
Zero point four per cent of screened bilateral allocable ODA (USD 0.1 million) focused on biodiversity overall, up from 0.2% in 2020-21 (the DAC average was 7.6%).
Learn more about the DAC Declaration on Aligning Development Co-operation with the Goals of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.
Note: Individual Rio Markers should not be added up as this can result in double counting.
In 2023, Latvia:
Allocated 8.1% of its bilateral ODA (USD 6 million) to core poverty-reducing sectors as defined by Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 1.a.1. This indicator captures grants to basic social services (such as basic health and education, water supply and sanitation) and development food aid.
Committed USD 0.4 million (1.1% of its bilateral allocable ODA) to promote aid for trade and improve developing countries’ trade performance and integration into the world economy in 2023.
Total Official Support for Sustainable Development (TOSSD) is an international statistical standard that monitors and increases transparency of all official and officially supported resources for financing the SDGs in developing countries, as well as for addressing global challenges. In 2023, activities reported by Latvia as TOSSD totalled USD 143 million, down from USD 160.2 million in 2022. Latvia’s TOSSD activities mostly targeted SDG 17 (partnerships for the Goals), SDG 10 (reduced inequalities) and SDG 3 (good health and well being). Activity-level data on TOSSD by recipient are available at: https://tossd.online.
Latvia’s development co-operation is managed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) and the Central Finance and Contracting Agency (CFCA), which was restructured in 2022 to serve as the development co‑operation agency. The MFA is responsible for policy development while the CFCA, operating under the Ministry of Finance (MoF), handles project implementation. The Development Cooperation Agency was pillar-accredited by the European Commission in 2024. While a large number of ministries participate in development co-operation, Latvia employs a whole-of-government approach through the Consultative Council for Development Co-operation Policy. This council, chaired by the Secretary of State of the MFA, facilitates input from various stakeholders, including government ministries, civil society and other partners. This ensures alignment and effective co-ordination of development co-operation policies and activities across sectors.
Twenty-two staff members work on development co-operation in the MFA, the MoF and the CFCA. In addition, 49 staff members working in diplomatic missions, line ministries and other state institutions work part-time to development co-operation efforts.
The Latvian Platform for Development Cooperation (LAPAS) promotes networking and collaborative activities among non-governmental organisations involved in international development co-operation.
Internal systems and processes help ensure the effective delivery of Latvia’s development co-operation. Select features are shown in the table below.
Access the full list of providers at this link: Development Co-operation Profiles.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia: https://www.mfa.gov.lv/en
National Development Cooperation Agency of Latvia – Central Finance and Contracting Agency: https://www.cfla.gov.lv/en/development-cooperation-agency-latvia
Development Cooperation Policy Guidelines for (2021-2027): https://likumi.lv/ta/en/en/id/322455-development-cooperation-policy-guidelines-for-2021-2027
Development Co-operation Policy Plan (2024-2027): https://www.mfa.gov.lv/en/media/12051/download?attachment
The Latvian Platform for Development Cooperation (LAPAS): https://lapas.lv/en
Latvia became a member of the OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) in 2025.
The methodological notes provide further details on the definitions and statistical methodologies applied, including the grant-equivalent methodology, core and earmarked contributions to multilateral organisations, country programmable aid, channels of delivery, bilateral ODA unspecified/unallocated, bilateral allocable ODA, the gender equality policy marker, and the environment markers.
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The statistical data for Israel are supplied by and under the responsibility of the relevant Israeli authorities. The use of such data by the OECD is without prejudice to the status of the Golan Heights, East Jerusalem and Israeli settlements in the West Bank under the terms of international law.
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← 1. DAC members adopted the grant-equivalent methodology starting from their reporting of 2018 data as a more accurate way to count the donor effort in development loans. See the methodological notes for further details.
← 2. Non-grants include sovereign loans, multilateral loans, equity investment and loans to the private sector.
← 3. Aid per person in extreme poverty is calculated by dividing net ODA (bilateral and imputed multilateral) by the population in extreme poverty in each country. Group averages are calculated based on a weighted average of aid per person in extreme poverty and the number of people in extreme poverty for each country in the group. For more information on this indicator, please see here.
← 4. The use of the recommended minimum criteria for the marker by some members in recent years can result in lower levels of ODA reported as being focused on gender equality.
← 5. This decrease in percentage is due to an increase in Latvia’s overall ODA budget.